The social network of Google, Google+, has been launched and already a lot of discoveries are made. Journalists can use it too and perhaps in a more accessible way, like a tool, than Facebook or Twitter. Sarah Marshall gives several ways to make use of the toolbox that the new service offers. And of course, it’s according to everybody’s like to access the features. Have a look at it, and if you decide to make use of Google+ in your work, make it to your benefit. And share with me if you have success or experiences that are useful to know. I’m curious!

During the workshop of Social Media Club Utrecht, Netherlands, on 29th June 2011 the theme was Social Media and journalism. Elvira van Noort emphasised that during her internship in 2005, various journalists did not believe in internet at all and that the editorial desks of the internet and print departments were separated. Nowadays, the line between journalist work and the citizen or community is getting thin. However, a task of the journalists is to verify and check the content the community provides and thus adding reliability. Turned around, the community can make the journalists work for them by sending messages the journalists should act upon. Aart Lensink of LVB Networks was worried about the ‘duty-content’ – the stream of comparable content that was produced by organisations that want to have content for the sake of it. A blurb of words, optimised to be found in Google but by its un-originality the result was opposite. But do the ‘official’ media loose their position? It is clear that suppliers, the business, seem to get closer to the professionals compared to the professional media which are disappearing. The latter can be caused by the business model of controlled circulation and advertising which declined. When at the same time the suppliers and professionals have the means to share their experience themselves, the parallel movements make that the information structure changes. Forever.